In 2020 Meols restaurateur Dave Otter launched Mimu, a payment app for restaurants, cafés, pubs and bars and now he is teaming up with a Wirral taxi firm to launch a delivery service. Tony McDonough reports

Wirral entrepreneurs who launched a payment app during the pandemic for restaurants, cafés, pubs and bars are teaming up with a taxi firm to extend the venture.

In 2020, Meols restaurateur Dave Otter launched Mimu, a mobile app developed by his cousin Andrew Jones from Birkenhead and his brother-in-law David Ogilvie O’Neil. The app helps people order more safely and pay instantly at hospitality venues.

As hospitality and retail begin to reopen, Dave is aiming for Mimu to help even more businesses trade strongly after the impact of year-long restrictions. He has joined with Wirral-based Argyle Satellite Taxis to offer a local delivery service for takeaway food and for non-hospitality retailers.

Dave said: “Shopping local has now come into its own. Forced to stay close to home, people have been discovering just what’s on their doorsteps. For the health of Wirral’s high streets, it’s vital for independent businesses that local people continue to visit.

“Mimu makes it easy to do that because social distancing and safety fears mean that businesses and customers want more contactless options and greater convenience. By involving Argyle Satellite, we are using a long-established Wirral-based company to help connect customers and businesses.”

Dave, an organisational development specialist, had to change careers when made redundant last year because of the pandemic. Having already part-owned a Thai restaurant in Hoylake, he helped adapt the Mimu app for takeaways and deliveries.

He also runs Bamboo Thai at Woodside Ferry Village. He said: “We’re a family-run business, not a multinational and we have designed the Mimu app specifically to support and promote local businesses increase job retention and creation while providing a platform to push their offers. It’s free and considerably cheaper than any major rival.

“Mimu also allows businesses to focus on serving their best products. We provide the support needed with colour photos of products, menus and supporting information, which will help in delivering more revenue. The app also provides data and analysis of customer purchasing behaviour.

“We know customers don’t want apps for every business they visit which is a barrier to trade for businesses. With Mimu every hospitality venue or shop is just a click of a button away.”

Danny McLeod, business development manager at Argyle Satellite, added: “We saw the potential for Mimu immediately and jumped at the opportunity to support another Wirral business.

“Customers, venues and the local economy can benefit. By ordering through Mimu customers not only support local venues and businesses, but Wirral-based drivers too. Even before hospitality changed Mimu was a great innovation, now it’s key to a successful reopening.”